With the boom of digital technology that has swept the entire world over the past 20 years it’s hard for people to think that printing has advanced as well. The truth is that there have been significant improvements to the printing process and quality using the same advancements in technology. If printing is just a monotonous task for you, like printing out this week’s expense report or your flight itinerary, then you’re missing out on the benefits that digital printing can provide, especially over offset printing.

There are a few aspects of digital printing you should know about:

Paper: Digital printing usually requires a specially certified type of stock that’s just for digital, but depending on the printing company you choose they may use non-certified paper.

Quality: The quality of digital printing is much like that of offset printing, and has extremely high quality black and white printing.

Speed: Since there’s no need for plates or mixing the inks in digital printing, the process is much quicker.

Minimal Costs: There aren’t any set-up costs or minimum print quantities with digital printing as well as no plate costs. Some machines are even capable of doing bindings as well.

Prints what you need: Digital printing is great for small to mid-sized print jobs.

On Demand: Digital printing is great for last minute print jobs and changes.

Variable Data: The use of variable data is possible with digital printing. In other words, content can be changed from one piece to the next without slowing down or changing the quality of the process. This means you can personalize each piece which is a fantastic feature for direct mail campaigns. Roughly 90% of millennials find direct mail advertising to be reliable according to a recent survey, so being able to efficiently create personalized mail is crucial.

Cool Effects: Certain machines are able to print special effects like white ink, UV ink, raised ink, and more.

Environmental: Digital printing means less waste since there are no plates, films, or photo chemicals to worry about. Digital printers don’t need water anymore so a lot of water is conserved each year as well.

So the next time you’re in need of a print job for a direct mail campaign or maybe just new business cards, contact your printing company to discuss the benefits of digital printing.

Direct mail can be an effective way to get people engaged with your company and drive sales, but only if it’s done correctly. When tackling your direct mail campaign, there are a few things you’ll want to make sure you get right — including finding a printing company that can handle your printing needs.

Proof Read

This incorporates two aspects of your direct mail: editorial and design.

If you’ve written the copy yourself, or have a copywriter, then you’ll still want to ensure that everything is correct and readable. If you think a “there/their” mistake isn’t detrimental, you’re wrong. It can be the quickest way your piece of mail ends up in the trash without a second thought. Take the time to look over your copy once you think it’s ready to print, and then have multiple other people look at it as well. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are all aspects that should be focused on, as well as flow. Even if your copy is a grammatical masterpiece with not a single comma out of place, it can still feel choppy and hard to understand. So make sure it’s simple and gets the point across.

Same goes for the design. The more complicated it is, the more inclined people will be to discard it. Most consumers won’t spend the time to understand the direct mail postcards that you’ve sent if they’re confusing or have an overly complex design. Keep things aesthetically pleasing, but simple and comprehensible.

Use Direct Mail to Boost Online Traffic

Even though it seems like an extra step, using direct mail can be extremely effective in promoting your online traffic. More than 60% of people who received some piece of direct mail were influenced to visit a promoted website and most of them were first-time shoppers, according to a USPS study. Add a call to action about following your company on social media. Promote giveaways for new followers. Give people a voucher if they use the website to make a purchase. Any of these can be effective ways of boosting the online part of your business.

Marketing is more prevalent than ever with the increasing amount of digital platforms that allow for display advertising and targeted ad campaigns. Social media sites have drastically changed how many businesses view their marketing strategies and achieve demographic coverage. So with everyone playing the same game and having every team on the same field, how can your business stand apart? The answer is to take a fresh look at one of the original vehicles for reaching consumers: direct mail.

Direct mail may be an older form of marketing, but that doesn’t mean it’s less effective. In fact, it’s typically more effective than some digital marketing practices. And here’s the kicker — everybody still gets mail. Mail hasn’t disappeared in the slightest! Utility bills may be going paperless, but that presents the perfect opportunity for you to take over the mailbox with your own personalized piece of direct mail. If 66% of shoppers are more likely to use a coupon or voucher if they have a tangible form they can hold in their hands, then why not be the company who gave it to them?

Start by gathering data. This includes addresses of all current customers as well as prospective ones. Analyze shopping trends and methods. Compile all data that can help you in the campaign.

Create a way to personalize it. Use the data to send out coupons or discount vouchers to shoppers who buy more of one thing or shop at certain times. Add names and shopping history if you can as well. It makes customers feel special and more willing to continue using your business.

Find a great printing company. You’ll want to make sure you find a printing company that can handle your printing needs. You can even use direct mail marketing companies who can help execute the perfect campaign.

Revisit. Once you’ve started your campaign, you’ll want to make sure you continue to review it’s success and reevaluate if necessary. Continue to offer new promotions and member discounts to keep people’s interest peaked.

The success of your business is about being different while remaining relevant. Don’t count out old tactics for new ones, and always pay attention to the data. If customers want physical mail, then you should definitely be the one to oblige them.

The real estate industry is a tough one without a doubt. It’s subject to inventory that is available and a market that can be extremely unforgiving at some points and overly generous at others. It’s no secret that successful real estate agents work hard to get leads and new customers, especially during times when the housing market is uncooperative.

If you ask the agents that sell consistently they will tell you that you have to keep your name in front of your market and stay top of mind with them for when the need arises. Direct mail has been a proven marketing tool for Real Estate Agents for years and a consistent tool used to keep your message in front of your prospects. Use these direct mail marketing tips to help boost your real estate game, even in the offseason.

Find Your Audience

The success of Direct Mail is dependent on the list you send to. Taking the time to prequalify your mailing list and identifying who your ideal customer is will significantly increase your response rates. A common practice by Realtors is to market to their Sphere of Influence (those that know you best) or by marketing in areas you are currently working in with Just Sold and Just Listed Postcards. The idea of like people, live in like areas and have like means, is a good starting place for selecting a good target audience for your marketing message. Keeping your name and face in front of them for when the time is ready is a successful strategy used by the best Agents. The more someone sees your name and message, the most top of mind you will become with that prospect.

Be a Resource

Building your brand with a new prospect takes time. When someone doesn’t know you or what you do, you have to build trust and break down the stereotype that it is only about you the Agent. Once successful strategy used by Real Estate Agents is using the power of information. Provide your prospects with tips on selling their house and market trends for their community. Don’t always make your marketing piece about you, instead gear it towards them and how you can help them. Portray yourself as the neighborhood specialist that knows their market better than any other. Quarterly newsletters or postcards with current events in their area are great ways to keep your name in front of your target market with helpful tips so that when they do want to buy/sell, you’ll be who they think of.

Don’t Go Overboard

If it’s important to send out mail, then what’s the magic number of how many times to hit them? Do you send out something once a week? Holidays only? The truth is there isn’t a magic number, and the frequency of your mail depends on you. It’s important to stay relevant though, so one piece of mail a month is a good baseline to work from. Being able to send your piece around a Special Event or Holiday does help get your message seen and will increase response rates. Using direct mail pieces with a shelf life is a very common practice too, something like a sport schedule or calendar. The more your prospects see you, the more top of mind you stay.

Direct mail marketing can be one of your most influential marketing tactics as a sales professional, especially if you work with a reputable printing company. If you’re looking to make your name a household name, go with direct mail marketing.

Direct mail marketing is still an extremely viable way to target consumers and businesses. The reason for an unsuccessful campaign involving direct mail usually has to do with the inability or unwillingness to personalize. With advancements in the printing process, being able to personalize any and all direct mail is easier than ever. Most printing professionals are able to personalize your direct mail for you with a process known as Variable Data Printing.

What Is Variable Data Printing?

Variable Data Printing, or VDP for short, is the process in which a printing company can change printed elements from one piece to the next. VDP doesn’t slow down the printing process and therefore each article of mail can be quickly altered according to specific data. The data used to print the personalizations are from a database, or in some instances, an external file. There are three levels of VDP: simple text conversions such as the name on a letter, more complex alterations that can change things like graphics to target the different demographic groups (all the people who live here get this one, and the people who live there get that one, etc.), and full modifications for individual pieces. Depending on the need, there are different operational approaches to VDP involving file merging or data conversions.

What VDP Means For Your Business

Using Variable Data Printing means that you can tailor each piece of direct mail you send out to the person you’re addressing it to. This can include names, birthdays, coupons and discount codes, promo offers, location sales, and more. With that said, you will need to keep a continuously updated customer information file including things like history purchases, average amount spent, addresses, birthdays, etc. That way the data can be directly processed using VDP and you can offer things like promotions if a customer has been inactive for a certain period of time.

Variable Data Printing can be just the thing your next direct mail campaign needs to be successful. Of the direct mail that they receive, customers only find that 31% of it is personalized content that they believe to be beneficial. So change that by finding printing professionals who can accommodate all of your printing needs and help you successfully reach your customers.

Direct mail campaigns are one of the most effective forms of marketing. In fact, up to 84% of millennials look through their mail and 90% believe direct mail is reliable.

However, direct mail marketing can sometimes feel like a bigger investment compared to email marketing what with postage prices on the rise. So how can you save money on postage while capitalizing on direct mail’s ROI?

Consider the following ways you can save money on postage when sending out your business’ direct mail postcards:

Clean up your direct mail lists regularly

One of the best ways you can save money on your direct mail postage is by regularly cleaning up the list of people you send direct mail to. Remove the consumers who don’t respond to your advertising and target those who do.

Utilize print services

Print services allow you to print your direct mail campaigns on-site quickly and efficiently without having to worry about suspending the productivity of your own employees. What’s more, by using print services that also house mailing services you can save money on postage using drop shipping and increase your ROI.

Give your audience an online means to respond

Direct mail is more likely to get the attention of your intended audience compared to email marketing. However, it can be cheaper for you and more convenient for your audience to provide them with an online means to respond to your ad. Still, it’s important to pay attention to your target audience. If your audience isn’t tech-savvy, it may be in your best interest to provide the pre-paid postage for a response as usual.

Know your target audience

As mentioned above, it’s essential to know your target audience before making marketing decisions. By growing your mailing list strategically and editing it regularly to market towards those who respond, you’ll be more likely to get the ROI you want and the customers you need. When you market toward anyone and everyone, you risk wasting money and marketing materials.

When you use wholesale printing services, you can save money on direct mail postage by using drop shipping. For more information on digital printing and how you can save money on postage, contact Modern Mail and Print Solutions today.

We all know the stereotypes of the millennial generation. They are constantly glued to their smartphones. All they do is go to social media, text their friends, and read online blogs.

Companies do their best to market to millennials and gain their business. How do they do this? Through digital advertising. Although there may be some truth to this, millennials are not completely addicted to their phones. Surprisingly, the best way to reach a millennial is actually not through their smartphone.

Research has revealed that 77% of millennials pay attention to direct mail advertising. To that end, print ads are actually better at getting millennials to respond than digital advertising. Small businesses everywhere are now contacting printing companies and investing in printing services to have marketing material physically mailed to millennial consumers. How exactly does this work? Why do millennials prefer direct mail ads to digital ones? Let’s take a look.

They Ignore Digital Ads

A study conducted by the United States Postal Service (USPS) demonstrated that almost half of millennials ignore digital ads. It also revealed that only 15% of the same millennials ignored direct mail. “The study shows that 77% of millennials pay attention to direct mail advertising, 90% think it’s reliable [and] 57% have purchased in response to direct mail,” writes The Media Post. The study found that this could be a result of processing speed. Digital ad content is processed much more quickly, making it easy to skim over. In opposition, the nature of physical mail requires millennials to spend more time looking at and reading the material they receive.

Physical Mail Makes Them Happy

There’s something about receiving mail that just makes millennials giddy. Okay, not quite. But physical mail and advertisements do trigger brain activity associated with feelings of self-value and desirability. Participants of the study had much stronger emotional reactions when receiving the physical mail as opposed to an email or other online marketing messages. This means they were much more likely to remember and take stock in physical advertisements.

Although it may be hard to believe, millennials actually are much more likely to respond to direct mail ads than emails or other ads they see on the internet. If you are a business owner and are looking to reach these millennial consumers, take advantage of printing services near you to get your ads out there.

Direct mail marketing, also known as print marketing, is one of the oldest and most influential ways of marketing. While it may not be as lighting fast as digital marketing, it has its advantages. For instance, almost half of Millennials will ignore digital ads, but only 15% will ignore direct mail. Direct mail marketing also yields an average 13-to-1 return on investment.

But before you run off to one of your local printing companies to start creating direct mail postcards and fliers, there are a few common mistakes you need to avoid making. Here are three common mistakes typically made in print marketing.

Unclear Or Missing Call To Action

The goal of any marketing campaign is to have people respond to it. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get this response when you’re missing the call to action. You need to make sure that this call to action is specific and easy to follow. Highlight the great things a customer will get when they respond, and remember that this is all about the customer when you’re reaching out to printing companies. As previously stated, the goal of print marketing is to get a great customer response.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has many regulations on direct mail, and if you don’t follow them it can cost you more in postage. And since postage will be your biggest expense in any print marketing campaign, that means a lot of money wasted. Follow the regulations on where addresses can be placed based on your mail category, as well as the folding and paper-weight regulations. Make sure you know all of these things before you start printing.

Not Sending to a Targeted Mail List

One of the keys to a successful direct mail campaign is the list you mail to. Don’t make the common mistake of thinking that “everyone” could use your service so you don’t really need to target a specific population. Although this could be correct in theory, with direct mail you could be wasting thousands of dollars mailing to someone who doesn’t necessarily need your service. You should always look at your current customers, identify where they live and certain characteristics that make them unique so that you can try to find similar people. You wouldn’t want to mail a direct mail piece about baby formula to an elderly bachelor. The mailing list you send to will have a direct reflection on your response rate.

When you’re working with printing companies for your direct mail campaign, keep these three common mistakes in mind. You want to make sure you avoid them, as they could cost you time, money, and even affect your ROI!

In recent years, many people have incorporated the use of digital advertising into their marketing strategies in hopes of reaching a wider audience. However, researchers find that almost half of millennials ignore digital ads, yet only 15% ignore direct mail. In fact, when executed properly, direct mail ad campaigns can bring in significant response rates and subsequent sales. Here are just a few ways to boost the response rate of your next direct mail advertising campaign.

Know The Formula

Direct mail household response rate is currently at about 3.7% (compared to .2% mobile, .1% email, .1% social media, and .02% internet display). One of the main aspects of executing a successful direct mail advertising campaign is having a formula that works. It requires just three simple elements: a strong offer or call to action, a targeted list of direct mail recipients, and a high enough frequency of communicating the message to the intended market.

Don’t Sell Products — Sell Solutions

Some of the most successful businesses in the world use this proven technique to connect more to potential clients and customers. Instead of simply listing the features of a product or service, boost engagement by relating to problems that cause the need for your business’ product or service-based solution. Target Marketing Mag writer Dean Rieck summarizes this method perfectly: “Bob doesn’t want a drill, he wants a hole. Mary doesn’t want a dress, she wants to look thin at the party this Friday…Ted doesn’t want a recipe book, he wants new ways to impress his friends at dinner parties and generate the compliments he thrives on.”

Prioritize Personalization

While the content of any given mailer is undoubtedly critical, addressing readers by name is another element that can work wonders in boosting response rates. But it’s deeper than simply changing the content to read “Dear (Customer’s Name)” as opposed to just “Dear Customer.” Your call to action should also try to reference the customer’s name at least once. Plus, mentioning a relevant geographical location will make customers feel even more connected to the brand and thus more likely to respond, i.e., “If you’re in need of wholesale printing services in Tampa, call us today for a free quote!”

Ultimately, keeping these proven techniques in mind can help you create a direct mail advertising campaign with higher response rates than you ever thought possible. For more information about wholesale printing services, contact Modern Mail and Print Solutions.

In the last post, we talked about some simple ways for your small business to save money on postage costs, but there are additional methods that can be taken advantage of to save you money. Here are some more effective ways for small businesses to cut back on postage costs.

Maximize content and efficiency:

Instead of sending out 2 individual pieces of mail to the same person, consider sending multiple coupons or offers in each envelope. Janet Attard writes on Business Know How, “When you do send invoices by mail or ship merchandise to customers, insert ads and promotions for other products and services you sell. The ad gets to ride along for free as long as the weight of the paper it’s printed on doesn’t bump the cost of the mailing into the next rate range.”

Consider Saturation Mailings:

Saturation mailings allow you to target specific neighborhoods and areas around your location at the most cost-effective postage rate. The idea is that like-minded people live in similar areas, so instead of having to do a demographic mailing, blanket the areas you are currently working in or have customers in. The process is simple — just identify the postal carrier routes you want to target and you will save on both the mailing list and postage costs. For more detailed information, talk to your mail service provider or contact Modern Mail & Print Solutions.

Size and Weight Matter:

To qualify for Bulk standard class mailings, your piece can’t weight more than 3.5 ounces. Once you go over that weight limit, you risk going into a higher postage class at the piece-per-pound rate which can be very expensive, so it is important to know the weight of your piece. You also need to know the difference between “letter size mail” and “flat size mail” pieces. It costs significantly less to mail your piece in a standard size business envelope than it does in a 9-inch by 12-inch envelope. Don’t get caught having to mail at a higher postage rate after you print just because your piece is one inch bigger than it should be. Check with your local Post Office to make sure your direct mail pieces are properly sized and set up correctly to qualify you for the best automation rates.

Ultimately, taking advantage of these tips can help your small business cut back on shipping and postage costs. For more information about Mail Services in Tampa Bay, contact Modern Mail & Print Solutions.

At Modern Mail & Print Solutions, our mission is to provide our customers with industry leading print and mail solutions, while operating business at the highest possible standards of excellence and ethics. Modern Mail & Print Solutions is a one-stop shop which provides a range of services in-house to support all your business needs.